Rotary engine.



F. A. HIGGINS.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.5. l9l6 Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- F. A. HIGGINS.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.5| I916.

1,26 1, 1 2%. Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w gall citizen of the United States,

- minimum of of this specification,

1 a a-nreems, or snrtnvuncnro.

scram enema.

I Specification of Letters Patent. j

j Patented Apr. a, rare.

Application filed August 5, 1916. serial a. 113,387.

To all whom it mayconcem: v

Be it known that I, FRANK A. Hroems, a residing at Bellevue, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use- Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines the present embodiment being particularly designed and adaptedfor use as a reversibledrotary engine in which steam, or similar expansive agent, is adapted to be used as an operative fluid.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a generally improved reversible engine of this class which will be exceedingly simple in construction, cheap of manufacture, and efiicient in use.

A further object is the provision of improved reversible valve gear mechanism, together with'an improved. arrangement of main and branch ports, with a sliding or reciprocating abutment between the latter, said branch ports communicating with the interior and exterior portions of the casing or cylinder and being adapted to be simultaneously opened or closed, and when opened, to be transformed into induction and eduction ports on opposite sides of said'reciprocatory abutment whereby to drive or reverse the rotor in any desired direction of rotation.

A still further object is the provision of an improved engine of this class in which the parts are simple and compactly arranged so that the engine as a whole will occupy a space with a maximum of efliciency while in operation.

With the above mentioned and other ends in construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in one of its embodiments in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part Figure 1, is an end elevation of a rotary engine constructed in accordance with my invention, the parts being in their. initial position preparatory to the opening of'the main fluid inlet port for re-. ceiving the initial expansive action or 1mpulse of the operating fluid.

Fig. 2, a central vertical cross sectional view of the same.

ing or reciprocatin view, the invention consists in the novel cylindrical Fig. a central vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3,-3, of Fig. 2.

F 1g. 4, a top plan view of the same. S1m1lar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout all thefigures of the drawings.

The improved engine comprises a casing or cylinder 1, provided with a valve head or housing 1, and suitable sides 1. The sides 1*, are adapted to afford suitable bearings for the driving or rotor shaft 2, carrying the rotor. The rotor 3, may be secured upon the shaft 2, by means of a key 2, and is pr0- vlded with a piston wing 3, (in the present instance one in number) and as a means of utilizing the expansive power of the operating fluid as well as providing for the proper inlets and outlets for the same, in the direct or reverse rotation of the rotor, the head or housing 1 is provided with a main port 4, and branch ports 4*, and 4 the branch ports 4* leading to theinterior portions of the easing or cylinder on opposite sides of'the slidabutment 5, and the branch ports 4", lea ingto the exterior portlons of the casing on opposite sides thereof. The piston wing 3, travels in frictional engagement with the interior of the casing and the reciprocating abutment 5, is normally held in frictional engagement with the periphery of the rotor 3, said abutment being adapted to reciprocate and clear said piston wing at profper times and to be held 1n its abutment ormlng position by the means hereinafterdescribed.

It will be seen that the winged rotor 3, within the casing or housing 1, forms conjointly with the latter and the abutment 5, annular fluid expansion and ejection chambers 6, and 7, respectively, communicating with the induction and eduction portions of the branch ports 4", respectively, in accordance with the direction of rotation of said winged rotor. As a means for simultaneously opening and closing the branch ports 4, and particularly for transforming the same at either side of the abutment 5, into' either induction or eduction ports for reversing the rotor, valves 8, are mounted in the branch ports 4 at the intersecting portions of the outer ports 4", saidvalves, in the present instance,

form and providedat one end with crank arms 8, connected to each other and adapted to be simultaneously operated being of by means of a link 8 the latter being proport openings 8, and 8",, the long port openings 8, of the two valves being so arranged that in one position, as shown in the drawings, the long openings 8, of the one valve will register with the branch ports 4 on one side, and will be out of registry therewith on the other, while the short port 0 ening 8, will register with a portion of a ranch port 4, and the short port 8 will form a continuation therewith to register with the adjacent branch port 4, leading to the exterior of the casing for exhaust, and it will thus be seen that when the valves 8, are in the one position (as shown in the drawings) the branch ports. 4, are transposed at one chamber 6, in this position being a fluid expansion chamber and the chamber 7 belng an ejection chamber, said chambers communicating respectively with the induction and eduction portions of the branch ports 4. When the valves 8, are moved in their extreme reverse positions from that shown in the drawings, the branch ports 4, will be transposed into transposed induction and eduction ports for reversing the rotor in an obvious manner, and the fluid expansion chamber 6, will then become a fluid ejection chamber while the fluid ejection chamber 7, will become a fluid expansion chamber.

As a means of positively holdin the reciprocatory abutment 5, in frictiona engagement with the periphery of the rotor 3, in its abutment forming position, as well as quickly reciprocating the same in a radial direction with respect to the rotor so as to withdraw the abutment 5, into the slideway 5, to clear the piston win 3, as the latter is rotated, and immediate y after the passing of such piston wing to move the abutment 5, outwardly or toward the rotor, the abutment 5 is provided with a ide stem 9, passing through a suitable stu ng box or hearing 10, said stem 9 at its top being provided with a laterally extending arm 11, the latter being connected to a vertically movable slide 12, said slide being mounted in suitable guide or bearing brackets 13, and bein provided at its lower end wlth a brac :et 14, the bracket 14 carrying a roller 15, adapted to travel within a circular groove or guide way 16, of a disk plate 16, said circular groove or guide-way 16, being adapted to hold the abutment 5, in abutment forming position until it is desired to reciprocate the abutment 5, for passing or clearing the wving 3, of the rotor when, it will be observed, the roller 15, will travel into the outwardly extending or cam-shaped grooved or humped portion 16. It will be side into induction ports and at the other into eduction ports for driving the rotor 1n the direction indicated by the arrows, the

resisted in its upward merges observed that when the roller 15 first rides into the cam-shaped portion 16 the abutment 5 will be immediately withdrawn to clear the piston wing 3, and immediately after the latter has passed the-oppositely extending cam-shaped portion 16 will immediately eject or move the abutment 5, out into contact with the rotor 3. Thedisk plate 16 is keyed upon the rotor shaft 2, in fixed relative relation to the h iston wing 3, so that the parts 'ust described will have the same action in t e reversal of the rotor.

\ As a means of controlling or opening and closing the main port. 4, the latter is provlded with a valve seat 4 adapted to be opened and closed by means of a valve 17, Sand valve being provided with a valve stem 17, adapted to reciprocate in a stem guide or housing 18 the valve 17 being movements and normally held in its closed position by means of a coiled spring 19 surrounding the valve stem 17 and interposed between the top of the valve chest 20, and an enlargement or projection l7 on the valve stem.

As a means of reciprocating the valve stem 17, together with the valve 17, in proper relation to the position of the valves 8, and the direction ofthe rotation of the rotor 3, a horizontal shaft 21, extends through the valve or steam chest 20, and is provided intermediate its ends with a lever arm 22, said arm 22, being preferably forked at its free end and being adapted to extend over the valve stem 17, and to engage beneath the enlarged portion 17 for elevating the stem and valve against the resistance of the spring 19.

One end of the shaft 21 is provided with an arm or lever 23, the latter being provided at its free end with a pivoted portion or sleeve 23, said sleeve being provided with an opening 23? to slidabl receive and contain a sliding link 24, an the pivoted sleeve or bearing 23, is preferably provided with an adjusting and clamping screw 23, for clamping the sliding link 24, in its respective reversed positions, as hereinafter described.

As a means of changing the reciprocation of the lever 23, and the valve 17, to correspond with the position of the valves 8, and the direction of rotation of the rotor, as in reversing the direction of rotation, the shaft 2, is provided with a pair of eccentric blocks 25, keyed thereon in diametrically opposite positions, said eccentric blocks carrying a pair of eccentric rods 26, the upltlil memes Whenit is desired to reverse or drive the rotor 3, in an opposite direction from that indicated in the drawings, the valves 8 are shifted to a reversed position to that mdicated by the drawings by moving the link 8 to the right through the medium of the handle 8, after which the position of the eccentric rods 26 are correspondingly changed by sliding or shifting the sliding link 24 to the extreme right through the sleeve or bearing member the same may be clamped by means of the clamping screw 23, it bein apparent that insuch position the valve 1 will be operated in proper relation to the movements of the various parts,

From the'foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

Having thus described one of the embodiments of my invention, without having attempted to set forth all the formsin which it may be made or all the modes of its use, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,'

1. In a rotary engine, a casing having main and branch ports, the latter being ,provided with valves adapted to transform the same into induction and eduction ports at either side, a valve controlling said main port, and prov'ded with a valve stem, a coiled spring surrounding the latter and adapted toclose, said valve, a shaft opera- 23, after which site ends of tively connected to said valve, a lever on said shaft, a slide link pivotally and adjustably connected to said lever, and provided at one end with a handle, a clamping device on said lever for securing said slide link in adjusted position, and oppositely arranged eccentric rods ivotally connected to said slide link where y upon the shifting of the latter the operation of said rods with respect to said valve will be reversed.

2. In a rotary engine, a spring resisted reciprocatory' valve, a rock shaft connected therewith and provided with a lever, a pivoted bearing member operatively connected to said lever and provided with an adjusting and clamping device, a driving shaft, eccentric rods mounted on said shaft, and a shifting link rod pivotally connected at itsopposlte ends to and carried by the opposaid eccentric rods, said shifting link rod being slidably mounted in said pivoted bearing member and adjustable therein by means of said adjusting and clamping device whereby upon the shifting of said link rod the operation of said eccentric rods with respect to said valve will be reversed.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

C. L. HARDING, H. S. Boc'mmmr. 

